CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



63 



varieties vulgaris, oblonga, and macrophylla have every appearance, so far 

 as can be judged from the descriptions and the source of the specimens, of 

 being nothing more than horticultural forms. Meissner did not see the 

 fruits of any of them. Retaining them as botanical varieties, if they are 

 in reality no more different from the type than hundreds of other culti- 

 vated forms (and I judge from the descriptions that this is the case), is 

 setting a bad precedent and perpetuating the present confusion. Following 

 this example, an almost innumerable series of botanical varieties could be 

 created. In reality they would be nothing more than horticultural forms. 



So far as known to me, this race or species has not yet been found 

 in an indigenous state. Some of the forms observed here in Mexico are 

 very primitive in character, but none have been found in the wild. 



Guatemalan race. This has probably received less attention from 

 botanists than any of the others. I cannot find, in fact, any references to 

 specimens from the Gautemalan highlands among the descriptions of Persea 

 americana. The differences between this race and the West Indian, 

 judged by the trees in cultivation, seem scarcely great enough to make 

 them different species; it is possible that the wild forms of both will yet 

 be found, in which case a more satisfactory determination can be made. 

 As yet the Guatemalan race has not been found in a condition known 

 certainly to be indigenous. It is of the greatest importance that the wild 

 prototypes of all the races be found, if they still exist, as only in this way 

 will it be possible to determine their botanical standing in a thoroughly 

 satisfactory manner. 



Mexican race. This avocado occurs abundantly in an indigenous 

 state about the base of the volcano Orizaba, at elevation of 5000 to 6000 

 feet. Its range in elevation and its geographical distribution have not yet 

 been fully worked out, but enough has been observed to make it certain 

 that the species is truly indigenous in Mexico. 



The wild trees of this species produce fruits usually of obovoid form, 

 almost never larger than hen's eggs. It does not seem possible to believe 

 that the thick skinned varieties of the West Indian race have been derived 

 from this species by cultivation. The two should probably be considered 

 distinct species, as was done by the botanists Chamisso and Schlechtendahl 

 when they gave this species, in 1 83 1 , the name Persea drim^folia. Meiss- 

 ner, in De Candolle's Prodromus, retains this as a good species, and the 

 Biologia Centrali-Americana does the same, but the botanist Mez, in 1 889, 

 reduced it to the standing of a bontaical variety of P. americana. It ap- 

 pears that we have never gone into the matter thoroughly enough in Cali- 

 fornia to ascertain the standing of this race, and have considered it nothing 

 but a cultivated form, — not even a botanical variety, — of P. americana. 

 I believe when the investigations now under way are concluded we will 

 be justified in considering this to be a distinct species, P. drim^foliat as 

 established in 1831. 



The Chinini We have not had to consider this fruit in making our 

 classification for California use, but its importance in Mexico and Guate- 

 mala necessitates its inclusion in any general scheme of classification. 



This is the fruit which I introduced from Guatemala last year under 

 the name copo or shucie. In southern Mexico it is known as chinini. I 

 have seen it throughout the southern half of Veracruz state, and am told 

 that it is abundant in Tabasco. It will not be described here, but it may 



